Showbits

Spring has sprung, summer looms, and Hollywood blockbusters abound — though you may not want to spend the season in a movie theater… so don't! Instead, take in your movies in the great outdoors by patronizing your local drive-in.

It's easy to forget this artifact of a bygone era. The first drive-in movie theater opened on June 6th, 1933, in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Though that theater no longer exists, the second-oldest drive-in opened in 1934 and is still in operation, as are 393 others in 48 of the United States (sorry, Alaska and Louisiana).

I was plotting my own upcoming trip to the drive-in when, coincidentally, Major Nelson pointed out the venue's recent 75th anniversary. I thought I too would do my part by again highlighting this oft-overlooked alternative. I've previously written about the draw of the drive-in, and those attractions are no less true now. Most such theaters are open on Friday and Saturdays only, and it's tempting to fill those few weekend nights with expensive outings — but the more affordable drive-in needs your support today. So enjoy the great weather and some big-budget films in what's sure to be a memorable night.

It's time for a brief look back at 2007 — brief, because my theatergoing is not what it once was. The number of movies I saw in theaters has fluctuated wildly since a decade ago, though it seems relatively constant over the course of this millennium:

This past year was very similar to its predecessor, with me taking in 15 theatrical films. It is not the prohibitive cost that keeps me from seeing more movies: a genetic condition permits me free tickets to any movie, anytime. It's more a matter of the time investment and working around the theater's schedule, whereas I can watch as much of a DVD as I want, whenever I want. Theatergoing also has a more social element than sitting at home in my pajamas, so I'm further limited by other people's geography and availability. Add in the fact that I don't have TV service and thus am not exposed unwillingly to commercials and trailers, and it takes some other rare factor, such as brand recognition, to make me aware and interested enough to warrant seeing a film.

Of the 15 films I saw in 2007, the best were Live Free or Die Hard, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and National Treasure: Book of Secrets. (I'd include Star Trek: The Menagerie as a theatergoing experience, but it technically was not a movie.) All three were rock'em, sock'em good action flicks that may've relied on tried-and-true formulae, but executed with finesse and humor.

This year's most disappointing movies were Spider-Man 3, 300, The Simpsons Movie, and The Golden Compass. And downright loathsome was The Transformers, which I recently saw the RiffTrax version of. Sadly, even Mike Nelson and crew could not improve on The Transformers, as I found it even more tedious on a second runthrough. Again, each of these films was based on an existing property, which perhaps led to high and ultimately unfulfilled expectations.

Which of 2007's films did you enjoy the most or least? Did I miss any you recommend?

Now that I've reviewed my first two films of the year, let me tell you where I saw them: the drive-in.

I'd been to such a theater only twice before: with my best friend and his parents in 1990 to see Die Hard 2 and Days of Thunder; and six years later, on a date, to see Dragonheart and The Nutty Professor. (Sadly, the crass humor of the latter film precluded any fogged-up windows.) Now, eleven years later, I've had what was my best drive-in experience yet: two friends, huddled under our respective blankets on what was likely the coldest Holy Saturday on record, watching two first-run comic book adaptations (TMNT and 300, in that order), doing our own MST3K when appropriate, glancing at the other screens (showing Blades of Glory and Grindhouse) when bored, and being appalled by the intermission snipes showing a hot dog suggestively leaping into a bun.

What a shame that such fun isn't more widespread! But alas, the drive-in is a dying breed: as of 2003, there are 432 theaters left — down from 815 in 1997, and 3,775 in 1950. But some drive-ins are being reopened or built anew; in 2002, the number of drive-ins actually increased.  As well it should!

The drive-in movie theater, first established in 1933, is not just a quaint artifact for moviegoers nostalgic for a simpler time. It's an effective, enjoyable, and unique venue for watching movies — one with many advantages over more generic multiplexes:

• Affordable — in my case, two movies for the price of one (charging by the head, not the carload)
• Bring your own snacks
• Control of the film's volume
• Control of the "theater"'s heat
• Talk with your friends as much as you want without disturbing others
• Conversely, other people talking won't disturb you, either!

The only disadvantage I encountered is that my car would turn off its electrical system after an hour of idling. If I didn't anticipate this by turning on the engine, the radio would suddenly cut out and we'd lose some dialogue.

That trivial inconvenience is easily overlooked for the wonderful opportunity presented by the drive-in.  MST3K alumnus Kevin Murphy wrote a wonderful book, A Year at the Movies, that describes how contributive the personality of the theater is to the experience of moviegoing. I can't think of anywhere that's truer than at the drive-in. Support your local one today.